In the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, militia apparently carried out a massacre of refugees. She is said to have killed over 40 people. The Ituri region has been rocked by a bloody conflict for years.
At least 41 people were killed in a militia attack on a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa. According to local authorities, the massacre took place in a village in the province of Ituri, in the east of the country. The reason for the attack was initially unknown.
People were mostly killed with knives and guns or died in their homes which were set on fire, officials said. Some of those killed are believed to have been beheaded and burned, a Red Cross spokesman said. The dead are internally displaced. The refugee camp is five kilometers from Bule, a UN peacekeeping base.
1.7 million internally displaced people in Ituri
Officials and Red Cross officials blamed a militia called the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO). They are believed to be the most violent group in Ituri province, which borders Uganda, and have been blamed for numerous attacks.
The militia is classified as an armed political-religious sect. According to his own statements, he defends the interests of the Lendu ethnic group, whose members live mainly as farmers, against the shepherds of the Hema ethnic group.
Violent conflict between the Hema and Lendu ethnic groups flared up in 2017. According to the United Nations, hundreds of civilians have already been killed and thousands displaced. Around 1.7 million internally displaced people are now in Ituri province.
130 armed groups would be active
Eastern Congo is considered one of the most dangerous regions in the world. Around 130 different armed groups are said to be active across the country. In the volatile neighboring region of North Kivu, the M23 rebel group has regained strength over the past year. The Congolese government therefore transferred troops from Ituri to North Kivu.
During a visit last week, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix said that after the partial withdrawal of government troops, the deployment of UN peacekeepers in the region is even more crucial. .